Recording the sound of sand dunes in the desert

2020 sound recording expedition to Namibia

January 27, 2021

… as I approach the tree, I hear an aggressive hiss that instantly transports me back to the present moment. A Horned adder is viciously squirming at the base of the Camel thorn tree. How did I get here? Read on to find out.

Free sound effects - Mindful Audio freebies 2020

December 13, 2020

2020 free sound effects - the Mindful Audio holiday freebies are back!

Answering your field recording questions in one to one sessions

September 8, 2020

Do you have questions about field recording, expedtion planning, selling sound or other related topics? I might be able to help.

Zoom F6 field recorder review

June 12, 2020

When I sold my H4n back in 2013 I swore I’d never get another Zoom device. Fast forward to 2019 and I bought the Zoom F6 recorder, hoping it would be a different experience. Did it disappoint? Read on to find out more.

Sony PCM A10 long term review

March 17, 2020

I’ve had the Sony PCM A10 handheld recorder for a little over a year and I even got a second one before my recent trip to Borneo. Does this make it an excellent device, worth spending your money on? Probably not, but read on to find out what it excels at.

Sony PCM D10 long term review

February 23, 2020

I’ve had the Sony PCM D10 handheld recorder for a little over a year. I initially thought this was the long-awaited D100 replacement with additional features like XLR input and USB-C connectivity. This wasn’t really the case, but is it still worth getting?

Field recording trip to the Congo rainforest

Interview for Creative Field Recording

February 14, 2020

I was recently intereviewed by Paul Virostek for Creative Field Recording. We talked about gear selection for long distance expeditions, focusing when there’s too much to record, dealing with harsh conditions in remote locations, general fieldcraft and even photography.

Sound Devices Mixpre II review

February 12, 2020

In late 2019 Sound Devices released the second generation Mixpre recorders and I was one of the first recordists to test one. Are the new Mixpres worth buying? Here's my review of these devices after having used the Mixpre 6 II and 10 II on a couple of field recording expeditions.

Field recording tools of the trade

At the lower end of the price spectrum, field recording equipment will yield relatively similar results. A few dB of self noise won’t make a huge difference if the recordist hasn’t mastered the other tools of the trade, the ones that can’t be bought. Let’s examine some lesser known but rather more important tools that are sure to improve your field recording practice.

Introduction to Freestyle field recording

Freestyle field recording is a flexible approach to recording nature and wildlife sounds outside of the studio or any controlled environment, developed by George Vlad. While traditional methods are prescriptive and rigid, Freestyle field recording encourages deliberate experimentation and a very organic workflow.

Listening session at the House of Lords in Westminster

I recently received an invitation to play some of my soundscapes and to tell stories about conservation. While there’s nothing unusual about that, the setting was definitely novel for me.

A collection of Owl sounds

Owls are awesome and worth learning about. What better place to start than a curated selection of owl recordings, captured by your favourite wildlife sound recordist!